Vaccines and the March of Dimes: From Polio to Rubella

Vaccines and the March of Dimes: From Polio to Rubella

The College of Physicians of Philadelphia 19 South 22nd Street Philadelphia, PA 19103

David Rose, Archivist of the March of Dimes, will explore the impact of polio and rubella in American life and the vaccines that led to their decline.

It is possible we may see polio eradicated from the world in our lifetime. The elusive goal of polio eradication began with the race to develop an effective vaccine in the mid-twentieth century. Little was known about poliovirus then, but the research of Jonas Salk and Albert Sabin catapulted into the news headlines through the efforts of the March of Dimes.

Founded in 1938 as the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, the March of Dimes funded the polio vaccines developed by Drs. Salk and Sabin, which brought an end to polio epidemics in the U.S. After changing its mission to birth defects prevention in 1958, the foundation then faced a rubella epidemic resulting in thousands of birth defects. Through the work of Virginia Apgar, a rubella immunization program of the late 1960s likewise put an end to the scourge of congenital rubella syndrome.

This talk, by March of Dimes Archivist David Rose, will explore the impact of these two diseases in American life and the vaccines that led to their decline.

Please note that the event takes place at the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. The event is free of charge, but registration is required.